To Love & Be Loved
by liyysofei
Summary: Gwendolyn Cordelia Mellow has spent her entire life believing that she is a mistake. Having never been the subject of affection, the concept of love is foreign and unfamiliar. But as she starts her sixth year at Hogwarts, she gets more than she bargains for through Rose, Scorpius, and yes, even that slimy Potter spawn. And maybe, just maybe, she'll learn how to love and be loved.
1. one

**Disclaimer: I hold no ownership over any characters except for my own.**

My leg instinctively contracted as I blearily registered a wriggly sensation on my foot. The sensation continued to grow in intensity until the itch had become unbearable, my irritation overwhelming my drowsiness.

"Wakey wakey, my little Gwennie-poo," chirped a quirky voice and I groaned, taking deep breaths to prevent myself from strangling my best friend.

"Just five more minutes, Rose," I mumbled, dragging my pillow over my head in an attempt to escape reality for a while longer.

"Not a chance," she chuckled, forcefully dragging my pillow away. My blankets were thrown off unceremoniously, exposing me to the early morning chill that always seemed to creep into the house no matter how many spells we cast to counteract it. I fumbled about sluggishly, trying desperately to return to the warmth of my covers, only to have my curtains drawn open, the sun effectively blinding me with its brightness.

I hadn't signed up for this when Rose begged me to move in with the Granger-Weasleys five years ago. Of course the situation back then had been drastically different and I was forever indebted towards the Weasleys' kindness and understanding.

After my first year at Hogwarts, it had become painfully evident that returning home was not an option. My drunk of a mother, Marietta Edgecombe, disgraced amongst the wizarding community after her betrayal to Dumbledore's Army, had only managed to acquire more debt while I was away and I couldn't even remember the last time I had seen my Muggle father. The few relatives I had left had turned a blind eye to my troubles but Rose had offered the perfect solution and I had resided with the Weasleys ever since.

Our friendship was an odd one of sorts and had been appropriately unexpected to say the least. I had entered Hogwarts as the quiet, intense, and admittedly dark Ravenclaw while Rose was quite the opposite, easily achieving a more popular status with the help of her warm, outgoing personality. It was our high-achieving standards that thrust us together and in a way, we balanced each other out.

"Come on, hurry up," Rose pulled on my leg, bringing me out of my thoughts, and sighing in exasperation when I flopped back down to stretch languidly. "The Potters are going to be here any second now. Please do attempt to make yourself somewhat presentable."

That snapped me to attention, as I forced my eyes to blink owlishly at the redhead.

"The Potters?" I cried indignantly.

While the Potter and Weasley households normally spent summer vacation in close proximity, this summer had been an exception. Mr. Potter had been summoned for business somewhere in Eastern Europe and the entire family had accompanied him for his travels. Aside from the occasional owls James sent Rose and I, containing pictures of his adventures and letters from Lily to Hugo, I hadn't heard much from them for a few weeks. Which was fine by me, considering my profound dislike for the _infuriating_ middle Potter child.

"Yes, of course, you prat!" Rose rolled her eyes. "We're going to the station together this year. Something about horrid muggle traffic. Anyhow, they're barely twenty minutes away and you have got to do something about that hair of yours, it's positively dreadful. Please tell me you've washed it-"

"Twenty minutes?!" I squeaked, catapulting myself out of bed and scrambling towards my closet.

"Yes, stop making me repeat myself! Mum's made breakfast so come down whenever you're ready," Rose called over her shoulder as she descended down the stairs.

I muttered curses under my breath as I rummaged through the hangers, haphazardly exchanging my pajamas for a pair of joggers and a Puddlemere United jersey. I dashed to the bathroom, furiously brushing my teeth and rinsing my face with a splash of cold water before running a comb through the thick expanse of chocolate atop my head.

"Rose!" I bellowed after I got the comb stuck in my waves for the fifth time, wincing as a particularly rough tug only led to further entanglement. "A little help?"

I turned just as she appeared, my grey eyes meeting her bewildered brown ones as they quickly scanned my appearance.

"I really don't understand why you refuse to cut it," she wrinkled her nose as she took the comb from me, maneuvering it gently so that my hair would obey her movements.

I kept quiet, too embarrassed to admit that I liked the feeling of the wind blowing through it whenever I rode my broom around the Quidditch pitch. Besides, it wasn't normally a problem. Of course, normally I'd be able to cast a simple charm and call it a day but we were technically still underage and since I'd rather not go against the law so early in the morning, especially since Rose's mother held a big role in... I digress.

"Also, would it kill you to wear a skirt once in awhile?" Rose's voice seeped through my reminiscing, and I could only roll my eyes at the scandalized expression she wore on her face.

"They're just highly inefficient," I shrugged. "We're going to have to change into our uniforms later on anyway."

"I don't see you wearing the standard skirt issued for the girls either," she snorted before placing the comb down and letting her eyes roam over me in one final assessment.

"You're decent, I suppose," she shook her head, indicating otherwise. "But one of these days, I'll have my way with you."

"How'd you get sorted into Gryffindor anyway? The only thing you'd be concerned about during a duel is if your robes were ironed nicely and if they matched your shoes," I chortled.

"Hey, that's not true! Besides, who said witches can't have a sense of fashion?" she protested. " _Witch Weekly_ just published an article on the latest trends for the new school year and-"

"-and cue Gwen zoning out," I interjected, smirking as Rose huffed. " _Witch Weekly_ is a load of rubbish if you ask me. You ought to read more textbooks if you've got so much time on your hands."

I drifted back to my room, grabbing my wand from its place on my nightstand and stuffing it into my trunk. Rose sauntered in behind me, about to chew me out for criticizing her favorite source of all-things-glamour when the doorbell rang.

"Merlin's beard, how are they here already?" The sound of muffled greetings filled the air as I flew around the room, the Ravenclaw in me mentally going through a check-list and trying to remember if I had forgotten anything of importance.

"Didn't you already triple check everything last night?" Rose said.

"You can't ever be too sure," I shot back, rummaging through the contents of my trunk one last time before my eyes widened in realization. "Raven!"

I made a mad dash out the door, looking for any telltale signs of the furry black creature. I could've sworn she had fallen asleep on my bed... "I forgot to pack Raven!"

"Gwen, you don't _pack_ cats." Rose murmured as she joined me in my search.

"Details!"

I sprinted my way through the upper levels of the house, still no Raven in sight. I reached the stairs and tumbled down the steps, panting as I tripped over my own feet and holy hippogriffs, I should've held onto the railing.

I braced myself for the impact, praying that the floor would have mercy on me and-

I spluttered as my cheek landed against something soft and warm, quite unlike the wood that carpeted the Weasleys' foyer. A mixture of sage and amber evaded my nose and I had only started thinking that it was quite a lovely combination when two firm hands gripped onto my shoulders and pushed me back roughly.

"Hey, let g-" I froze mid-sentence, my face flushing as I realized the rather compromising position I was in.

A blur of black hair flashed past me and I mentally cursed myself for my clumsiness.

 _Please let it be James, please let it be James._

My gaze flickered up to meet the steady one of my savior, briefly taken aback by the intensity of the blazing emerald that met my stormy grey. His eyes remained unreadable and searching, the corners of them crinkling slightly.

 _Had they always been this pretty?_

"Miss me, Mellow?" his amused voice broke through my haze and I couldn't help but sneer reflexively.

 _Oh sod off, Potter. Sod off._


	2. two

"As much as I'm dying to continue this love-fest, you're not the first girl to throw herself at me. So in the interest of keeping things fair, why don't you head on back to the end of the line?" Albus -correction: the slimy Potter _git_ \- smirked up at me.

My eye twitched at his cheekiness. I could already feel the telltale throbbing that usually accompanied the beginnings of a migraine.

I quickly gathered my wits and removed my body from his, grimacing as I shook off the sudden loss of warmth.

"Puddlemere United?" he arched an eyebrow, glancing at my jersey.

"Only the best," I shrugged, absently running a hand through my hair.

"At least you've got good taste," he acknowledged. "Shame you got nothing else going for you."

I clenched my knuckles tightly, fully intent on bludgering the prick, only to release my grip at the sound of approaching footsteps.

I glanced towards the subject of interruption, my eyes softening when they landed on another head of jet black, unruly hair. At least Potter's brother was tolerable.

I grinned, remembering the events of my fifth year. Taking the O.W.L. exams had not been a desirable affair, but James had provided quite the entertainment when he missed his N.E.W.T.s in favor of starting some business in Hogsmeade. His sudden appearance was proof that the school board had held him back to repeat his seventh year and complete his final assessments.

"Oi, there's my favorite Ravenclaw!" James shoved past his brother -I stifled a grin at the disgruntled expression on the younger Potter's face- and grabbed me in a headlock, ruffling my hair ruefully.

"Wotcha, mate!" I greeted back, grabbing his outstretched hand and ramming my shoulder into his.

If Rose were here, she would have definitely disapproved.

When he pulled away, his golden-hazel eyes took on a mischievous glint, a sure sign of impending doom.

Before I could react, he had launched himself off the stairs, landing squarely on his unsuspecting brother.

"Oi, gerroff me!" Albus let out a cry in protest before the two brothers descended into a heated wrestling match. I shook my head in amusement, returning to my search for Raven as I maneuvered my way past the pile of flailing limbs.

I had yet to make it to the kitchen when Rose came to my side, a sleeping Raven nestled snugly in her arms.

"You ought to pay more attention to your cat," she nagged, passing Raven off to me. "Poor thing was stuck in between one of the vents."

"I told you she ate one too many Pumpkin Pasties," I stroked Raven's silky black fur as the two of us hunted down a spare cat carrier for the train.

"You girls ready to go?" Mr. Weasley called from the front of the house as I deposited Raven into her carriage.

"Almost!" we chorused in unison. "Our trunks are still upstairs."

"Better make it speedy," came his reply. "We're already running a bit late."

With that, Rose and I made our way back upstairs and to our respective rooms; I glanced around one last time before grabbing onto the handle of my trunk, straining to balance Raven's carriage and the heavy suitcase.

"To hell with the bloody idiot that came up with the restriction against underage magic. Practicality my arse…" I trailed off darkly, feeling beads of sweat form at my brow. If I was struggling now, I hated to think about what the excursion down the stairs would be like. Especially after that unfortunate incident with that unfortunate sod of a Potter.

"Do you always talk to yourself?"

Oh, speak of the devil.

"Bugger off, I'm in the middle of something," I gasped as I lost my grip on the handle of my trunk.

Before I could be dragged backwards by its weight, an arm shot past me and latched onto my trunk, simultaneously allowing me to maintain an upright position.

I hiccuped, once again thrown off guard by the closeness of our proximity. He arched an eyebrow at that, his eyes clouding and making his expression unreadable.

"You're such a klutz," he broke the silence, pulling back with my trunk in his arms. I watched as the veins in his arms popped. "Save some of your clumsiness for the pitch this season."

That snapped me out of it.

"I'll have you know, Ravenclaw is going to _obliterate_ Slytherin this year," I scoffed, readjusting Raven's carrier in my arms and following him downstairs.

"Doubtful," he chortled. "Maybe if you don't get demolished by Hufflepuff this year, but still highly unlikely."

"Hey! Davies wasn't in his right mind, some third year accidentally hexed him-"

"Admit it, Mellow. Slytherin is going to come out this season as the undefeated champions," he interrupted.

We came to a halt at the bottom of the steps and I glared at him levelly.

"Not if their Seeker gets injured."

Before he could respond, I planted a forceful kick to his shin and dashed out the front door.

"Oi, Mellow!" he called after me, his voice muffled by the increasing distance.

I sprinted down the sidewalk, seeking safety from Potter's sure retaliation as I squeezed my way through the tightly packed van that Mr. Potter had rented out.

"Merlin, why are muggle vehicles so jammed?" Rose squirmed against me as I fought to claim a spot of my own.

"I'm pretty sure the maximum carrying capacity has been surpassed," I responded. "Didn't Mr. Potter cast an Enlargement spell?"

Rose shrugged helplessly, her body unnaturally compressed between Hugo and James.

I moved past her, mumbling an apology when I accidentally stepped on her foot. I had just settled in nicely, Raven situated neatly in my lap, when I was abruptly shoved to the side. I felt my cheek connect painfully with the side window, a hint of sage and amber wafting in.

"Move aside, Your Gwen-ness. You're taking up all the space."

Ugh, what an irritating prat.

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the car ride mentally calculating the amount of self-control it took to not snap a Potter in half (through carefully conducted experiments involving the varying effects of different breathing techniques) and violently tasering him whenever his elbow jabbed into my side at particularly sharp turns.

I was in the middle of devising a list of pranks to pull (on Potter) for the new school year when Mr. Weasley announced that we had arrived at King's Cross Station.

Mrs. Potter began fretting about, idly fixing James's collar and patting Lily's hair into place. I accompanied Rose towards the back of the car, making sure that Raven was secure in my arms before grabbing my trunk. We grabbed a few trolleys and began wading our way through the crowded sea of commuters.

Platform 9 ¾ soon came into sight and without hesitation, our ensemble was barreling past the brick wall and through the misty white steam towards the Hogwarts Express that sat waiting expectantly.

A flutter of excitement began bubbling inside of me. The thought of being able to use magic again, to spend hours pouring over ancient texts in the library, the scent of fresh ink on parchment...its appeal almost overwhelmed me.

"Oi, Al! Over here, mate!"

I felt myself tense slightly in alarm. I would recognize that dry voice anywhere. I turned and had my suspicions confirmed when I spotted Scorpius Malfoy launching himself towards his partner-in-crime.

Merlin's beard, how wonderful. The excitement that I had been feeling earlier was quickly replaced with dread.

Sure, the train ride was only a few hours long. But trust me when I say that it was a few hours too many. Just the thought of spending mere minutes with Dumb and Dumber _together_ was enough to bring back the familiar pulsing at the back of my head.

"Now listen, girls," Mrs. Granger pulled Rose and I to the side. "Make sure you don't skip any of your meals. A healthy diet leads to a healthy mind. Rose, I better see an improvement in Muggle Studies. Honestly, it's quite embarrassing that that's the one subject you're a bit lacking in. And Gwen, dear, please do try to avoid any Quidditch-related injuries this season. Having to make up work was always such a chore," she gently patted our cheeks before hugging both of us fiercely.

"Rose, don't forget to show that Scorpius kid his place," Mr. Weasley cut in and I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

He was the same every year: "Beat Scorpius in everything otherwise I won't buy you a new broomstick."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Relax, we're not kids anymore."

"She's right," I affirmed. "We'll be fine."

The Weasleys pulled back to face us with bittersweet smiles and I couldn't help but squirm a little under their affectionate gaze. Mrs. Granger pulled us into one last hug. "Till Christmas holidays then," she whispered, stepping back.

"Till then," we both nodded before turning to make our way onto the train.

We found an empty compartment, quickly slipping in to claim it as ours. The train slowly began pulling away from the station as we got situated, stashing our baggage away.

I turned to Rose, eager to discuss what to get from the treat trolley when a knock sounded on the door to our carriage.

"You ladies mind if we join you?"

Without waiting for an answer, Scorpius Malfoy came tumbling in with his trunk, followed by a bemused Potter and his own luggage.

Rose spluttered disbelieving and I was about to mirror her reaction, only to be surprised when her face took on a sudden flush of red. Huh. Was she blushing? I'd have to ask her about that later.

Scorpius plopped himself down next to Rose and if possible, the redness in her face was now exceeding the redness of her hair. I arched an eyebrow curiously, only to frown when something warm and slightly moist dropped onto my lap.

"Oops."

Did that _oaf_ seriously drop a bloody cauldron cake on my pants? Oh, this meant war.

"Potter, are those shoes new?" I stood up, the dirtied pastry sliding to the ground as I fixed him with a withering stare.

"Yeah, they're actually quite comfortable," he supplied.

"How nice," I quipped, pulling my hair back into a messy ponytail. "Are they fast?"

"Well I haven't really tried running in-why?" he paused.

"Shall we find out then?" I offered. Realization dawned on his features and he scrambled towards the exit

It was going to be a _long_ ride indeed.


	3. three

"Remind me, why did we let them in our carriage?" I brought my fingers to my forehead, massaging it in annoyance.

"Technically, we let ourselves in," Scorpius answered, chewing rather obnoxiously on a liquorice wand. He smacked his lips together loudly and I squirmed.

"Would it kill you to stay quiet for a minute?"

"I'm not even doing anything!" he protested.

"You're chewing too loudly!" I cried. "How is that not doing anything?"

"Merlin, why are you so uptight?" Potter interjected and I shot him a scornful look.

"I'm happy to kick your arse again," I threatened.

He rolled his eyes, refocusing his attention on the book in his hands (Yes, shocking, I know. Who would've thought he actually possessed the brain cells to read).

"I spy with my little eye-" Scorpius started and I banged my head against the window.

From my calculations, we hadn't even been on board for a full hour. Which meant I would have to suffer through another eternity of Malfoy's idiotic pastimes.

"Something green?" Rose echoed. "Your Quidditch robes?"

"Bingo!" Scorpius cried. "Your turn."

"I spy with my little eye something orange," Rose ignored the disbelieving look I sent her way as she joined in the game.

"The pumpkin pasty you ordered from the trolley," Potter answered nonchalantly. She nodded, settling back in her seat as he started examining the room.

His eyes caught mine, locking me in place.

"I spy with my little eye something grey," he murmured slowly, his low voice suddenly making the air heavier.

I coughed as he fixed me with one last unreadable expression before he shifted his attention towards Scorpius.

"Grey?" Rose interjected, her brows furrowing. "The sky outside?"

"Nope," Potter shook his head imperceptibly.

"The window frame!" Scorpius shouted triumphantly.

Potter shook his head once again. I frowned as I looked around the compartment. There didn't seem to be very many things that were grey.

"The door?" I tilted my head.

"Try again," he chuckled.

Rose and Scorpius continued guessing as I studied Potter's face. Where had he been looking when he made his statement?

A thought dawned on me but I quickly dismissed it, finding it to be absolutely ridiculous.

"You guys are all horrid guessers," Potter snorted after a few minutes. "I was talking about Gwen's eyes."

My face wrinkled in surprise. Had I really been right?

Rose and Scorpius exchanged a wordless look before mirroring the same bewildered expression I had on.

"Just thought they were pretty," he shrugged, his eyes sliding back down to the book in his lap.

Scorpius spluttered quietly while Rose turned towards me with an inquisitive twinkle in her eye. Had Albus just...complimented me?

I brought a hand up to my temple. I must've hit my head one too many times today.

* * *

"Look at how cute they are," Rose pulled on my arm. "First-years are so adorable and awkward when they stumble over each other and-"

"I get it, woman," I shoved her back. "You have some strange fetish for the newcomers."

"No, it's just always so fun watching them get sorted into their houses. Don't you remember our first-year at Hogwarts?" she sighed.

Oh, I remembered only too well how much drama had gone down because of a certain Potter being sorted into the Slytherin House.

Speaking of houses…

"Hey, Rose?" I elbowed her. "Aren't you supposed to be at the Gryffindor table?"

"Oh, Merlin's beard," she muttered. "James is gonna have my neck."

As if he had heard her remark, James's head suddenly popped up over the heads of his fellow housemates.

"My dear cousin," James bellowed above all the chattering. "Stop fraternizing with the enemy!"

"It's Gwen, you dolt," Rose shot back, rolling her eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow in class."

I nodded my head as she scampered away, my eyes returning to the front of the Great Hall as the Sorting Hat Ceremony commenced.

With each new announcement of a house placement, the respected house would answer with a deafening roar of pride. I generally detested rowdy, boisterous events but even I couldn't help but get swept up in the school spirit as our howls bounced off the walls.

"Candace Meldeen...Ravenclaw!" the Sorting Hat announced. I jumped up onto the bench and pumped my fists in the air, shooting a smile in the girl's direction.

"Welcome to the House of Ravenclaw!" I hollered along with everyone else.

A chant followed as the girl proceeded down towards our table. I turned to the side, my eyes searching until they connected with a pair of emerald green ones.

The corners of them crinkled up in a smile as he quickly rose up on his own bench.

"I can cheer louder than you," he mouthed, sticking his tongue out.

"Daniel Goyle...Slytherin!" the Sorting Hat announced. The Slytherin House erupted in chaos as they welcomed their new member.

Potter turned back to face me smugly. Think you can do better, Mellow?

"Oh, it's on," I grinned.


	4. four

"I think I ate too many potatoes last night," Rose groaned, leaning heavily against me. "Boiled, roasted, mashed...it's all just a blur."

I chuckled, taking out my wand and waving it absently around Rose's messy, red hair. In an instant, it had rearranged itself into a smooth ponytail.

"Remember, a healthy diet leads to a healthy mind," I quoted her mother and she shot me an irritated scowl. Before she could respond, a pile of parchment was dropped onto the table next to ours.

"Someone's in a mood," I raised an eyebrow at a disheveled-looking Potter.

"I'm going to murder Scorpius," he muttered darkly, tugging at his Slytherin-green tie. He ran a hand absently through his messy hair and a round of appreciative squeals filled the room. I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head. Great, another class with Potter's obsessive fangirls.

On that thought, I was unfortunately reminded of the number of classes I would be sharing with Potter spawn and Scorpius this year. Why'd they have to do so bloody well on their O.W.L.'s and qualify for the same classes as Rose and I? Why couldn't they apply that same level of intelligence to their daily lives?

"Where is he anyway?" Rose asked. I frowned, noting the slight raise in pitch of her voice.

"Trying to find a counter curse to the Jelly-Brain Jinx I cast on him," Potter replied. "It'll probably take him a while since he's not in his right mind."

"Albus!" Rose punched her cousin's shoulder roughly. "Headmistress McGonagall is going to be livid if Malfoy misses her first Transfiguration lesson."

"Maybe he should've thought of that before he dumped a bucket of slugs on me," Potter hissed back.

I snorted in amusement, ignoring the emerald glare that was sent my way in response.

"How much time do we have before McGonagall shows up?" Rose asked, chewing on her lip in thought.

"Five minutes, give or take," I shrugged. "What's got your wand in a knot?"  
"I'm going to go get Malfoy," she said and I almost fell off my stool.

"You're going to what?!" Potter and I yelled at the same time. Instead of responding, Rose hopped off her chair.

"Gwen, cover for me please," she asked. "It shouldn't take long but just in case."

"Rose, wait-" I called after her but she was already sprinting out the door, her robes flying out behind her. I let out a frustrated sigh before rounding on Potter.

"What are you going to do if both of them end up in trouble?" I crossed my arms.

"I didn't ask her to go get him," he replied coolly, carefully rearranging his textbooks.

"I cannot believe you," I scoffed. "It's not like this is the first time you guys have pulled pranks on each other. So, what gives?"

He paused momentarily in his sorting and took a deep breath.

"I think it goes without saying that I'm not a morning person," he fixed me with a look of finality. "So I wouldn't push it if I were you, Mellow."

I studied his face, finding that all traces of playfulness from the previous night had been replaced with barely concealed irritation. It wasn't like Potter to get this worked up over a small joke, especially since it had been Malfoy's doing, so it had to be more complicated than what he had painted it out to be. An uneasiness settled at the back of my mind but I decided that it would be more productive to think of a way to cover for Rose.

Before I could think of any useful spells, Headmistress McGonagall swept gracefully into the classroom, her presence only serving as a reminder of Rose's continued absence. My brain spun furiously as I ran through my list of diminishing options.

"Welcome to your sixth year of Transfiguration," Headmistress McGonagall offered a rare smile around the room. The class quieted down as she pulled out a piece of parchment from her robes and began calling roll.

I glanced over at Potter whose focus was fixated on the front of the room, my eye twitching at the thought of Rose getting in trouble at his expense. With that in mind, an idea (albeit a rather dimwitted one) presented itself to me.

I reached into my bag for my wand, my mind set. I prayed that my excellent grades would save me from McGonagall's wrath and then proceeded to point my wand at Potter's wrist.

I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for the retaliation that was sure to follow.

"Patrick Longfellow," Professor McGonagall called.

"Present-"

"ARGH!" Potter sprang up from his seat, clutching his arm in pain. A red welt had formed on the inside of his right arm and was quickly swelling up in size. I winced as a twinge of guilt shot through me.

"Oops," I shrugged half-heartedly. Potter's head whipped towards my direction, his eyes blazing.

"Mr. Potter, is something the matter-" the headmistress began.

"You asked for this, Mellow," he cut her off, grabbing his wand from the desk. Before he could cast a spell on me, I sent another Stinging Hex at his other arm and then another on his neck. His face twitched in pain each time a new welt was formed and my hesitation began slowing me down.

"Titillando!" Potter cried, a flash of purple light flying out of his wand at me.

I let out a surprised squeak, unable to conjure a shield in time as I was overwhelmed by the feeling of a thousand worms wriggling all over me.

I dissolved into a fit of giggles as the tickling sensation rendered me helpless. If there was one thing that I detested about Potter, it was the fact that he knew my biggest dueling weakness like the back of his hand.

My laughter turned into silent wheezes as the sensation grew in intensity, my arms wrapping around my sides in an attempt to fight off the itch.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rose tugging Scorpius into the room behind her. I grabbed onto the edge of my table and cackled unnaturally, hoping to keep McGonagall's attention on me.

"Miss Mellow," Professor McGonagall called warningly. "Please settle down. Mr. Potter, I kindly ask that you retract your tickling hex, we have a lot to get through today. If this nonsense continues, I will dock a point from both Slytherin and Ravenclaw houses."

"But Professor, she started-"

"I'm happy to issue a heavier punishment if you continue to interrupt my class," she added sternly.

Potter bowed his head in apology, flicking his wand. The tickling disappeared and I let out a gasp, slumping over my desk and breathing heavily.

"Gwendolyn Mellow," Professor McGonagall called.

"Present-achoo!" I sneezed. McGonagall looked up from her parchment in concern.

"Bless-"

"Achoo!" I continued sneezing uncontrollably, the classroom filling with sounds of my predicament.

Potter let out a snicker and my eyes widened in realization. How dare he use a sneezing hex on me, that thick-headed twat.

Exasperation welled up inside me, and against my better judgment, I angled my wand in Potter's direction, muttering a low _Anteoculatia_.

He yelped as antlers began sprouting from the top of his head. The class erupted into a round of laughter as he fumed, the tips of his ears turning red.

"That's what you -achoo- get, Pot -achoo- ter," I grinned cheekily.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Mellow," Headmistress McGonagall snapped shrilly, effectively silencing the room and wiping the smug smile off my face.

"For your continued disruptions, I'm deducting ten points from both the Slytherin and Ravenclaw houses." Her announcement was quickly followed by the displeased grumbling of some of our classmates. "In addition to that, after lunch and before your evening classes, you'll be required to serve detention by polishing the candelabras in the Great Hall. Now, please un-Hex each other so we can get on with today's lesson."

"Yes, Professor," I mumbled, flicking my wand and counteracting the horn-growing curse. Potter did the same for my sneezing hex, curling his lip at me in a sneer. I rolled my eyes in response and studiously ignored the accusatory looks that were thrown my way from my fellow Ravenclaws.

A moment later, Rose plopped down next to me and called out a cheery "present" when her name was called.

"Thanks," Rose whispered. "And sorry about detention. I'll make it up to you."

"I'm expecting a giant bag of sugar quills tomorrow," I quipped. "How's Malfoy holding up?"

"He's fine now," she said, taking out her textbooks. "Was muttering some nonsense about peanut butter when I found him but he's mostly back to normal."

I glanced over at the blond-in-question before running my eyes quickly over his tablemate.

Just the thought of spending the entire afternoon with him had me clenching my fists together tightly.

First day of classes and we were already off to a _great_ start.


	5. five

My feet dragged sluggishly behind me through the hallways, a scowl etched onto my face. Students steered clear of me as they took in my dishevelled state, underclassmen shrinking away in fear.

"Gwen," Rose placed a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to placate me. "You alright, Gwen?"

I let out a low growl in response.

"Come on," Rose tried again. "It's only one detention, how bad could it be?"

"Need I remind you whose arse I saved by getting this detention?" I arched an eyebrow at her.

"I promised to treat you to food at Hogsmeade tomorrow!" she pouted.

I merely tutted in reply.

All in all, today had been awful. Aside from getting into trouble on the first day of classes, I was being forced to serve a detention with Potter spawn. To make matters worse, the Transfiguration lesson had made my head spin with its unfamiliar complexity. The amount of homework that McGonagall had assigned was only adding to the stress of not knowing the answer.

And not knowing the answer was not an option for me. Just the thought of failure made me want to throw up my lunch.

"Well," Rose nudged me. "Please do try and not kill each other."

"No promises," I muttered darkly, tugging on my bag as I stepped into the dining hall.

"Ah, Miss Mellow," Headmistress McGonagall beckoned me over. "Your wand, please."

My scowl deepened as I remembered that we'd be polishing these candelabras the Muggle way.

"And Mr. Potter, your wand as well," her gaze shifted past me and I turned, meeting Potter's bored stare with a glare.

A moment later McGonagall had both wands in her possession. "You have all afternoon to complete your task. I expect it to be done well and in an efficient manner. There will be no excuses if you're both late to your evening Astronomy lesson."

"Yes, Headmistress McGonagall," we echoed dully.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she chuckled drily. She kicked two empty buckets with rags in our direction. "Ask the house elves to fill them up with the, _ahem_ , cleaning substances."

Without further ado, she glided smoothly out of the hall, an almost imperceptible click indicating that she had locked the double doors shut.

"Let's just get this over with," Potter bent down and picked up one of the buckets.

"Touché," I agreed monotonously. We wandered our way to the kitchens where a pair of quiet house elves dumped water and soap into our buckets. They offered sympathetic smiles before returning to their other tasks.

The trip back to the hall was a disastrous one as I had forgotten to calculate how heavy the bucket would be after filling it to the brim with liquid.

I sneaked a glance at Potter, my eye twitching when I saw that he was carrying his bucket with ease. I quickly lagged behind as I clumsily dragged the bucket along with me. I continued on with my laborious task, yelping as I stubbed my toe against the leg of a table.

"For Merlin's sake," I huffed, reaching down to massage my foot. In my haste, I lost my balance and began tilting dangerously to the right.

Before I could fall and embarrass myself further, a hand reached out to steady me, firmly gripping onto my shoulder.

"Your clumsiness is a force to be reckoned with," Potter chided, his tone light and filled with mirth.

"Oh, get off your high hippogriff," I bit back, shrugging his hand off.

"Feisty," he commented before reaching around me for my bucket. I held my breath as his body brushed against mine, only exhaling when he had placed a respectable distance between us.

"So how do you want to do this?" Potter set my bucket down next to his. I bent down and dumped each rag in the soapy water before wringing them out.

"I can start on the right side and you can go left?" I offered. "It should go by faster this way."

He nodded, easily catching the rag that I tossed at him. I dragged my bucket towards the first candelabra on the right, wrapping the rag around my hand and stretching up. To my frustration, my fingers stopped a few inches short of the brass. I frowned, propelling myself upwards onto my tiptoes. Even then, my fingers just barely managed to scrape against the bottom of the candelabra.

I sighed before freezing as my back was engulfed with sudden warmth. A long, slender arm reached past me and began wiping the metal. Although there was quite a considerable amount of distance between our bodies, my palms began sweating profusely and I found myself holding my breath once more.

After Potter had finished polishing the first candelabra, he took a step back and I felt my shoulders slump back to their normal position.

"I'll go get you a ladder, shortie."

Was it just my imagination or had his voice always been this low?

I turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of his figure retreating around the corner and tilted my head.

When I caught sight of him walking back, a shudder ran through me. This past summer had been one of growth for him as well. Gone was the roundness of his cheeks that had filled his face with a youthful quality, replaced with all sharp angles and hard edges. His messy black hair was now tousled with delicate care instead of flying all over the place. I recalled our initial encounter the previous day and realized that he was gaining height on his older brother. James was stockier, probably due to his Chaser position in Quidditch, but that didn't mean he was the only muscular Potter. Albus was leaner, more lithe, and when he rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, the veins in his forearm seemed even more pronounced than usual.

I blinked, feeling a sudden dizziness, before quickly averting my gaze and shaking my head. Maybe today had been longer than I thought.

* * *

"I guess he was helpful enough during detention," I stretched my back as Rose and I made our way to the Astronomy tower for our evening lecture. "I couldn't reach the candelabras so he fetched me a ladder."

"I told you he wasn't a bad bloke," Rose smiled. "You just have a mad talent for rubbing him the wrong way sometimes."

"I think you actually mean all the time," I corrected. "Don't you remember the mood he was in this morning? I'd never admit it to him, but he looked like he could beat up a werewolf."

"Whatcha girls whispering about?" a dry voice drawled from behind us, making Rose squeak in surprise.

"What do you want, Scorpius?" I shrugged off the hand that he had placed on my shoulder.

"You weren't badmouthing my best mate by any chance, were you?" he raised an eyebrow. "You're a civilized witch, Mellow."

"And why do you care what I do?" I snorted. "We're going to be late."

I grabbed onto Rose's arm and began tugging her upstairs.

To my annoyance, Malfoy kept pace with us, his longer legs quickly overtaking our shorter strides.

"Hey, hey, not so fast," he blockaded our entry into the room. "Potter's a lovely fellow."

"If he's that great, then why don't _you_ go find _him_ and leave us alone?" I quipped, pushing past him.

I found a vacant space on the topmost level, grabbing my telescope and star chart out of my bag before settling down. Rose quietly sat down next to me and did the same.

"Mellow, I'm serious," Scorpius plopped down next to Rose and I groaned.

"And I'm about to bludger your nose so would you please bugger off."

He sighed before taking out his own set of equipment. "Cut him some slack, you were the reason he was in such a bad mood today. Not to mention, you got him in trouble too."

"He was the one who hexed me after McGonagall warned him not to and-" I paused as his words fully dawned on me. "Did you just say that _I_ was the reason he was so grumpy today?"

"Right on," he nodded. I frowned in confusion.

"But Gwen hasn't pulled any pranks on him yet," Rose chipped in, her expression mirroring mine.

"Please, a small prank never hurt nobody," Scorpius laughed. "I'm talking about what happened in our dorm this morning."

I remained silent for a solid minute. "Enlighten me, Malfoy."

"Well, I'm sure you heard that I dumped a bucket of slugs on him," Scorpius immediately launched into storytelling mode, his voice taking on an animated excitement.

I nodded, remembering how odd Potter's reason for anger had been. A bucket of slugs hadn't quite justified his rudeness.

"I only did that because I thought it would diffuse the situation," Scorpius continued. "Of course, I slightly misjudged just how pissed off he had been, which is why he hexed me, that son of a biscuit."

"And this is related to me how?" I pressed.

"Our roommates noticed that your uniform fits a bit tighter on you than it did last year. Said you probably didn't get new ones on purpose since no one could ever fall for your personality but your looks would be a different story," he shrugged and Rose sucked in sharply. "Anyway, they were saying some pretty rotten stuff and Potter lost it. Hexed both of them so that sardines were coming out of their noses and it was clear that he would have inflicted more damage if I hadn't stepped in like the genius that I am."

Understanding washed through me for a brief moment before quickly being overshadowed with doubt and more confusion. In all my years of knowing Potter, he hadn't so much as stood up for me as he had ensured countless episodes of public humiliation.

None of his actions were adding up to the Albus I thought I knew. The Albus I knew would have jumped at the opportunity to tease me, to prank me, to outwit me. So why had he gotten so defensive over me?

"Anyway, my point is," Scorpius's voice interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back to reality. "Maybe you've gotten used to him being a prick and that's probably prevented you from having a good opinion of him. Hell, I'm not telling you to be all sappy and become friends, but he deserves as much of a chance as the rest of us."

I gnawed on my lower lip slowly. Had I been too quick to judge Potter? But could I really blame myself for that? After all, it hadn't been until just this year that he had made any effort to not drive me insane.

My mind flashed back to the events of this afternoon. To my surprise, I found that I had pleasantly enjoyed myself in his company.

"Gosh, move over Mellow. You take up so much space but it's not like you own this

place."

And cue the migraine. I quickly brushed off Scorpius's words as Potter settled down next to me. I must've been out of my mind for a few words from Malfoy to have affected me as much as they did.

"No one said you had to sit here," I grumbled.

"This was the only space left," he rolled his eyes.

I was about to make a smart remark about how it was his own fault for not coming earlier when the welt I had stung him with caught my eye. It had de-swelled considerably, and he seemed unbothered by it, but it still appeared to be, at the very least, a great discomfort.

Guilt made my stomach churn uneasily. It distracted me from the rest of the Astronomy lesson and even though I took notes diligently, I couldn't recall a single word Professor Sinistra had uttered with my usual eagerness.

"I think I might just vomit if I so much as see a potato," Rose gagged as we made our way to the Great Hall for dinner.

I stopped walking, frowned and took another step, before pausing once more. "Go ahead without me. I don't have much of an appetite," I lied.

"You okay?" her brows creased in concern.

"I'm fine," I waved it off. "Just tired. I'll turn in early tonight, but I'll see you bright and early tomorrow. Don't forget that you owe me sugar quills!"

With that, I turned and began sprinting towards the Hospital Wing.

"Wait, Gwen! Ravenclaw Tower is the other way!" Rose's voice faded behind me as I shoved past a group of bewildered Hufflepuffs.

"Madam Pomfrey!" I slid into the Infirmary, panting heavily.

"Oh, yes dear, how may I help you?" the kind nurse bustled towards me, scanning me from head to toe for any sign of injury.

"I'm fine," I chirped. "Everything's intact. I just wanted to ask if you have any medicine for welts and boils?"

"Wait here," she nodded. "I'll go get you some healing cream."

She scurried off, returning moments later with a small, white tube. "Just apply it around the affected area and the bumps should die down within the night."

"Thank you," I bowed my head in gratitude before sprinting back towards the Great Hall. As I reached the double doors, I slowed my pace to a walk and eventually stopped just outside the dining hall.

If I walked in now and handed him the medicine, it would probably seem odd and uncharacteristic for us...right? Besides, Rose would have expected me to be in bed by now.

I nodded to myself, making up my mind. I'd just wait for dinner to be over and then pass it to him discreetly. Of course, that was easier said than done. My stomach grumbled longingly as the smell of food wafted my way.

Lucky for me, dinner ended soon enough and out poured the students. I pressed myself against the wall to get out of their way, twisting my neck in every direction in search of a mop of messy, jet-black hair.

"Gwen?"

I froze, wincing. "Oh holy Dumbledore, please let her not walk this way, please Rose not this way," I chanted under my breath.

"Mellow, what are you doing?"

My back straightened and I let out a hysterical chuckle in relief. Never had I been so happy to hear that voice.

I grabbed onto the hem of his robes, using it to shield myself from view before pulling him in the opposite direction that Rose was headed. I was met with some resistance but I continued to tug.

I heard an impatient sigh and paused in my movements.

"Why are you sneaking around like-"

I pressed a finger against my lips before covering his mouth to silence him. He froze, eyes widening in bewilderment. I shuffled the both of us so that we'd be cloaked in the shadows of the hallway before releasing him from my hold.

"Mellow, I swear to Merlin that if you touch me again, I will scream," he warned.

"Is this what I get for trying to get rid of your welts?" I rolled my eyes. "Remind me to not care ever again."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" he hissed.

"Just give me your arm before I change my mind," I demanded.

He eyed me suspiciously before wordlessly stretching his arm out in front of me.

I dug around in my pockets before producing the tube of cream that Madam Pomfrey had given me.

"I'm not sure if this will hurt so just try to hold still," I squeezed out a generous amount and gently applied the ointment to his welt.

He flinched slightly but showed no other signs of distress so I continued dabbing on his injury as carefully as possible.

When I was done applying the ointment to his arm, I maneuvered myself around him to take a look at the welt on his neck. It certainly wasn't pleasant to look at but I had been expecting worse so I let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about all of this by the way," I mumbled. "I didn't mean to rough you up like this. I'm just a bit rusty after the summer."

"Are you expecting me to believe that?" Potter chuckled but the laugh didn't seem to reach his eyes.

I shifted my head so that I was facing him. His gaze bore into me and I swallowed roughly. I was so close that I could make out the individual lashes on his eye.

"It's your choice whether you want to believe me or not," I said slowly. "Actually, even I can't believe that I'm doing this for you."

Potter snorted at that. "Yeah, odds of me believing you are getting bigger."

"Oh sod off," I smiled despite myself. "I guess I also wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" That seemed to get his attention. "Is this another one of your pranks or something? You're starting to scare me, Mellow."

"No, I'm being serious you prick," I massaged my temples with my finger.

"For what though? I didn't think you'd appreciate the tickling hex, but if you're that grateful, I can arrange for that to happen again."

"No, you insolent buffoon!" I cried. "I'm trying to thank you for defending my honor."

He remained silent for a moment, his eyes searching mine for signs of insincerity. There was something in his expression that made it hard for me to look away.

"You've got a strange way of thanking your saviors," Potter finally flashed a lopsided grin and my face flushed.

"You are impossible," I stood up, dusting off my robes and tossing him the tube of cream. "You've got hands, treat yourself."

I started to storm off, only to be yanked back by my wrist. I came to an abrupt stop in front of him, my mouth popping open in surprise.

"Thank you," he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before clearing his throat. "I mean it...And goodnight, Mel-Gwen," he smiled.

I blinked, managing a small grin in return.

"Goodnight, Albus."


	6. six

"Do you think she's up yet? If we don't wake her soon, she won't be able to go to Hogsmeade."

"Don't you remember the last time we tried to wake her up? My hair stayed green for the rest of the month!"

I wrinkled my nose and rolled over in bed as I slowly became aware of the hushed whispering of my dorm mates. I curled up into a ball, attempting to steal a few more minutes of precious sleep.

"Maybe we should just go."

"We should at least tell her that they're serving freshly brewed coffee in the dining hall."

My eyes shot open at that. If there was one thing that Muggles had done right, it was the invention of coffee. I sat up abruptly, the movement startling the rest of my dorm mates.

"Good morn-" I gasped in pain as an ache spread through my arms. "-ing."

" _And goodnight, Mel-Gwen."_

I froze mid-grimace, my arm dropping to my side in horror. _No…_

Last night's run-in with the King of Sods himself flashed through my mind. I thrashed around violently, diving under my cover and howling into my pillow in humiliation.

"We'll be leaving now, Gwen!" my roommates filed out of the dormitory hurriedly.

"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER I SWEAR TO MERLIN!" I screamed before kicking off my

blankets and getting dressed in a huff.

I freshened up in the bathroom, haphazardly waving my wand around my head and assembling my tangled waves into a somewhat presentable ponytail.

"Gulping gargoyles, what was I thinking?!" I yelled at the pile of dirty socks in the corner of my shared closet space. "Pull yourself together, Gwen! Logic always comes first," I spoke firmly to the cluster of laundry as I finished getting ready. "Don't let his obnoxious ways get to you. You only get these weekend trips once a month and some rotten Potter isn't about to mess that up for you."

With that, I shoved my feet into a pair of boots and bolted out the room before the pile of socks could start talking back.

* * *

"Gwen!" Rose called from the other side of the Entrance Hall. I waved back at her before turning to Filch, the ancient and bad-tempered caretaker.

"Name?" he drawled.

"Mellow, Gwendolyn."

His eyes gave me a distasteful once-over. Last year, I'd had to serve more detentions than I'd like to admit for Filch. Of course, I had Potter to thank for that.

"Go on," he muttered after a while. I jogged swiftly past him and caught up with Rose.

"Hey," I slowed down, pausing to take a breath. "Morning."

"Hey!" she chirped brightly. "Oh, by the way, where were you after dinner last night?"

"My r-room," I gulped, hoping that she hadn't noticed my hesitation.

"I could've sworn I saw you in the halls," she mused thoughtfully. "But when I looked again, you weren't there."

"Must've been a trick of the light," I laughed nervously.

"I guess," she sounded doubtful, sending me an inquisitive look. I tried to keep a calm composure as her brown eyes scrutinized me from head to toe.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and I flinched, waiting for my shame to be exposed. "I forgot my purse in my room."

"You're just trying to avoid buying food for me," I coughed uneasily, secretly relieved that her interrogation had ended.

"Sorry, Gwen," she pouted. "I'll go run and grab it real quickly! I'll be back so just stay here okay?"

"Wait, no it's okay!" I protested but she was already out of earshot.

I sighed, pulling out my wand to practice some of the Transfiguration spells that McGonagall had assigned as homework.

I had only just begun waving my wand around when somebody rammed into my shoulder roughly. My wand fell from my hand and I bent down to retrieve it, mumbling about the unexpected interruption to myself.

"Oh. Sorry," a snarky voice bled into my thoughts. I dusted off my wand before squinting up at my offender.

A girl slightly taller than me stood with her hands on her hips, the frown on her face distorting what would normally be pretty features. Her hair fell in strawberry blonde curls to the middle of her back, her blue eyes icy cold. I recognized her as a Slytherin but couldn't quite put a name to her face.

"It's fine," I shrugged it off, about to turn around when she reached out and grabbed my shoulder.

I sighed, noticing two other girls standing a few feet behind her, not eager to engage in any social interaction whatsoever.

"May I help you?" I pressed on despite the increasing unease I was experiencing.

"You're not all that you know?" she quipped so suddenly I didn't even have time to feel offended.

"Um, okay?"

"Just know your place, Gwendolyn," she huffed.

"I'm sorry, who are you again?" I said. Which was clearly not the right thing to say. Her nostrils flared in anger and I had to try hard not to burst out laughing.

"Ainslie Cunningham," she spat. "Don't forget that ever again."

"Oh-kay," I put my hands up to try and placate her but she whirled around and stomped her way down the path to Hogsmeade, her two minions hot on her trail.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation (I guess there were more wackos in Hogwarts than I had accounted for) before returning to my previous task.

I was in the middle of trying to conjure a bird (and miserably failing) when Rose returned with Scorpius and Albus in tow.

 _Albus._

I felt my palms dampening with sweat and I quickly wiped them dry on my pants.

"Get over yourself, Gwen," I murmured quietly as they made their way down the path. "Nothing's changed-"

"Morning, Gwen," Albus smiled softly.

I spluttered, waiting for Rose and Scorpius to join in my reaction (they were too busy being chummy), as Albus watched me expectantly.

"Err, hi," I forced out a smile and chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, Rose! You, uh promised to get me some butterbeer!"

"I never-"

"Oh, Rose, you're hilarious! Tell me more as we walk," I grabbed her arm and began dragging her away.

"Wait, I'll treat you ladies to lunch at The Three Broomsticks," Scorpius cut in. "Butterbeer is on me."

"No one asked you to!" I snapped. Rose shot me a panicked look but I didn't have time to interpret that expression before her next words completely blindsided me.

"We'll take you up on that offer," she smiled at Scorpius. I had to pinch myself to check that I wasn't dreaming.

"Shall we then?" Scorpius prompted.  
"I'm in," Albus agreed good-naturedly.

 _Oh, right. Albus. It was now or never, Gwen._

"Would you excuse us for a second?" I attempted to swing an arm around Albus's shoulders. Remembering the rather fair distance in height, I settled for hooking my arm through his instead.

Without waiting for an answer, I pulled Albus up the path until we were well out of hearing distance.

"What's up with those two?" Albus started casually.

"Yeah, their behavior is mildly concerning," I agreed.

"Alright, what's up?" he changed the topic and I refocused on the matter at hand.

"Listen," I paused, trying to find the right words. "About last night, I just-"

"Thanks again," he interrupted. "The cream helped a lot with the swelling. The welts were gone by this morning."

He pulled up his sleeve and showed me his arm, any sign of injury completely erased. I stiffened, suddenly finding it difficult to continue.

"You were saying?" he pressed gently, rolling his sleeve back down.

"Right, um, Potter-Albus, er," I racked my brains, trying to figure out why my throat kept clogging up.

"Either works," he chuckled. "Hey, loosen up. You look like you just ate a toad or something."

"Please just listen," I said. He zipped his mouth shut, his face alert. "Can we just forget about what happened last night?"

The twinkle in his eyes dimmed, his features clouding with confusion. "I'm sorry...come again?"

"Let's just pretend it never happened and go back to normal," the words rushed out of me, blurring together. "I mean, we're just rivals right? You're only happy when you beat me and I'm only happy when I beat you. Nothing's changed...right? "

There was a beat of silence as we gauged each other's reactions.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Albus began, his words devoid of any previous warmth, "but you're saying that you... _don't_ want anything to change between us?"

"Yes," I nodded, glad that he had understood so easily. "I mean you're not really Albus if you're not constantly getting a kick out of irritating me right? All of this consideration and whatnot is not really our style."

"Are you really a Ravenclaw?" he scoffed suddenly and I could've sworn that his eyes tightened with a flicker of hurt.

"Say what now?" I frowned. Had I offended him somehow?

"So you really don't know?" he continued, his expression darkening with each word. "Merlin's beard, do I have to spell it out for you or something?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Bloody hell, I am such an idiot," he ran both hands through his hair in frustration and started pacing. "I was a fool to think you'd want us to change-"

"Hold up," I held up a hand, my voice rising despite my efforts to remain calm. "There was never an _us_ to begin with. We were never friends, hell we were estranged acquaintances at best and that's all we'll ever be."

He stopped in his pacing and grabbed me by the shoulders. I wanted to tell him that the pressure of his fingers against my slight frame was hurting me but I matched his fierce glare with one of my own.

"Is this what you really want?" he asked softly.

The pain behind his eyes made me hesitate. _No, you can do it, Gwen. You have to._

"Y-yes," I breathed unsurely. He released his hold on me, his arms dropping to his side. His eyes met mine briefly, the coldness that I was regarded with affecting me like a violent stab.

"Fine," his voice sounded distant. "I'll see you around, Mellow."

 _Were we back to a last-name basis now? It was nice hearing him use my name..._

"Wait, aren't you going to the pub with us?" I searched his eyes for an answer. He avoided my gaze and began walking back towards the school.

"Al-Potter!" I called after him. "Where are you going?"

He didn't answer, didn't look back. I was about to go after him, but my feet remained glued to the ground.

It wasn't in my place to follow him. I had let go of that right.

I should've been happy that I had gotten what I wanted. But as I watched his figure disappear over the bend, I felt nothing but empty.


	7. seven

"So then Scorpius decided that he wanted to try Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans but he kept getting the puke-flavored ones and…" Rose's voice droned on as we flew our brooms around the Quidditch pitch, her usual perkiness doing nothing to alleviate my sullen mood.

"-he said the butterbeer was strong enough to cover up the taste, but quite honestly he was looking a bit green in the face. Oh, that's right! We spent quite some time waiting for you and Albus but neither of you ever showed up. Did something happen?"

Instead of answering, I flipped over onto my back, letting my _Nimbus 2028_ glide smoothly on its own. At the mention of the brat himself, I couldn't help but be reminded of yesterday's awkward confrontation. Although I would never admit this to him face-to-face (and boost his overinflated ego), Albus possessed a set of rather stunning green eyes, courtesy of Mr. Potter himself. For me, they were the one saving grace to his endless supply of unappreciated sass. After our most recent squabble, however, I couldn't help feeling as though they had lost their usual brilliance.

 _Had it been my fault?_

"Gwendolyn! Gwendolyn Cordelia!"

I sat up straight, my broomstick stopping mid-flight as I stared forlornly back at Rose.

"What's with the face? Is the whole 'Scorpius-isn't-that-bad' spiel freaking you out? I can stop talking and we can just ride if you want," Rose tilted her head in question.

"No," I shook my head, feeling guilty that I hadn't been paying attention to Rose all afternoon. Her wavering feelings towards Scorpius Malfoy of all people would've normally had me rushing her to the Infirmary and getting her head checked.

Besides, it wasn't like my little spat with Potter was out of the ordinary. Last year it was hard to go a day without the entire school hearing about another infamous Mellow-Potter showdown. So why was it so hard to let go of this one argument?

Rose descended down towards the pitch and I followed her. We landed, swiftly hopping off our brooms and settling down on the grassy field.

"Did something happen between you and Albus yesterday?" she asked. "And don't lie to me because I'm not blind okay. There's something about the way he looks at you...not to mention, both of you seemed pretty off at dinner last night."

"We just had another disagreement, is all," I tried to brush it off though it was evident that the conflict wasn't as simple as that.

"That's a load of dung," Rose crossed her arms. "Hey, I told you everything about Scorpius, whether or not you actually heard me. So just be honest and talk. It's better to get everything off your chest."

I needed no further prompting as I detailed the happenings of the past few days.

"I always felt so satisfied after winning an argument or being right," I concluded. "But not this time."

"You're awfully slow for a Ravenclaw," Rose chuckled.

"You're the second person that's insinuated my incompetence in the past two days," I scowled. "Need I remind you how well I did on O.W.L.'s?"

"No, because I distinctly remember that the two subjects you placed second in -Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts- were the two subjects that my dear cousin outranked you in," she grinned cheekily.

"I was tired after Transfiguration-"

"Gwen, this isn't even the point," Rose held up a hand. "You've clearly managed to really upset him, which I don't envy, so either make up with him or stay enemies. Those are your only options. And since you seem pretty miserable with this whole rivalry thing, why don't you give friendship a shot?"

"Rose," I massaged my temples. "You're talking about two people who nearly destroyed an entire floor in the castle because of our competitiveness."

"Nonsense," she waved her hand airily. "You know Albus isn't nearly as bad as you make him out to be."

"You're only saying that because you're his cousin," I rolled my eyes. "Familial obligations."

"And you absolutely despise when other people are better than you," she stated matter-of-fact. "Wicked superiority complex you got going on there."

"Hey, that's not true!" I protested. "I have _some_ respect for Potter...when he's not being a pain in my arse."

"You really expect me to buy that?" she snorted disbelieving. "Regardless of that, what do you want to do? Think you can handle sacrificing a little pride and just apologize?" Rose suggested.

I grumbled darkly, weighing my options. At least apologizing would make me feel less guilty, whether or not he forgave me.

Rose was right, it was worth a try.

"Thanks, man," I offered Rose a small smile, the first genuine one since my last meeting with Albus.

"I'm always here for you," she returned the smile.

"So about Scorpius…"

"Oh stop it," she blushed madly and I laughed. "Come on, I'll race you around the pitch."

"Loser has to eat a blood-flavored lollipop," I stood up, grabbing my broom.

"Gross!" Rose wrinkled her nose. "You are so on."

She jumped onto her _Cleansweep 38_ and sped away.

"Cheater!" I yelled, still laughing. I shot upward on my _Nimbus_ , leaning forward and urging it to build up to maximum speed.

The wind whistled past me as I flew, catching tendrils of my hair and tossing it around. It was this very feeling of exhilaration that I had missed over the summer. Forgetting about the race, I practiced my dives, trying out new moves on my broom. I spiraled towards the castle, twisting and turning, attempting to commit this feeling to memory.

I was in the middle of a complicated twist when I spotted Albus walking towards the pitch, carrying a customized Firebolt Supreme. There was no mistaking his messy black hair despite the distance between us.

I took a deep breath, preparing to exit the twist and apologize when I caught sight of him conversing amiably with Ainslie, the Slytherin I had encountered yesterday with a stick up her arse. Something he said made her laugh and hit his arm playfully.

Something snapped in me at the sight, my blood boiling. Here I was, unable to fully function because of the remorse I felt towards Potter, while he appeared to have no recollection of yesterday's events, or at least had already recovered and was completely fine.

Was I jealous? Absolutely not. Was I ticked off that I had wasted half a day moping over nothing? Absolutely.

"Gwen, watch out!" Rose screamed suddenly, bringing me back to reality.

In my distraction, I failed to notice that I was spiraling downward towards the pitch at a rather alarming rate. I yanked my broom handle back just in time to avoid a head-on collision, but the side of my arm scraped roughly against the ground, tearing through cloth and cutting into my skin. I slid off my broom, clutching my arm in pain.

"Gwen!" Rose shouted. I turned to watch as she descended from her broom and sprinted to my side.

She covered her mouth in horror at the sight of my arm. Although the cut hadn't been very deep, it stretched jaggedly from my shoulder to my wrist. Dirt mixed together with blood that trickled steadily from the wound.

"Does it hurt?" she asked quietly.

"Not at all," I grimaced sarcastically. "I'm feeling just peachy."

"Here, let's get you to the Infirmary," Rose helped me stand up. I cradled my injured arm to my body weakly.

"Gwen!"

The two of us looked up in time to see Albus chuck his precious broom to the side as he rushed down the pitch towards us. Ainslie's face pinched as she remained rooted to her spot on the floor, her eyes following Albus's sprinting figure before locking on mine in an expression that screamed condescension.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking?" he yelled, his hands shaking with rage. "Your clumsiness could probably wipe out the entire English population but can't you at least pay attention to where you're flying?!"

Despite his outburst, his hand encircled my wrist gently as he brought my arm towards him. He handled it with great care as he took his time examining the scratch, his eyes occasionally flitting up to meet mine and check if I was in pain.

And I hated it. I hated the warmth that seemed to radiate from the place where our skin met. Hated the way his eyes roamed over my face in concern. Hated the way he was making me feel. Hated that he was Albus Potter and that one fact alone was why none of this made any sense.

"Let go," I commanded, trying to insert as much venom as I could muster into my voice. I had to get away, to leave before I really did lose my mind.

His green eyes clouded with confusion as his grip loosened ever so slightly. I ripped my arm away from his, ignoring the dull throb that shot up my arm.

"I was just wondering if you were okay," his brows furrowed.

"It's not your concern," I said coldly. "I never asked you to care about me."

"You didn't ask," he whispered. "But that hasn't stopped me."

Water started pooling behind my eyes so I looked away, not wanting him to see me like this. Not wanting to expose my vulnerability.

"Could've fooled me."

Then I walked away, trying to put as much distance as I could between my tears and the boy who had caused them.


End file.
